Cosplay
by Oreocooky
Summary: I know he's just acting, but he's so good at it. What can you expect from a member of the host club? But, I've never seen him act even this much. Is it possible... he really likes me? I feel like such a girl, the others would laugh. Kyoya X Haruhi
1. Host Club suspended

**A/N: Dear readers, I just recently watched this series and have absolutely fallen in love. This chapter's summary is that Kyoya has basically disappeared, thanks to his father, and the host club is being temporarily (or otherwise) disbanded. Enjoy!**

Kyoya sat at his computer, typing away. Calculating expenses, profits, and everything else that was necessary to keep the club going. It was amazing how carried away Tamaki could get.

I sighed, watching the twins as they creeped Tamaki out. Nothing unusual. Something about them offering to walk me home.

"You're not allowed to walk daddy's little girl home! It is strictly forbidden!" Tamaki was pointing at them and he was looking at them as if they were aliens. In his mind, though, they might have been.

"Says who? You're not the boss of us!"

"Yes I am! So long as you're part of this club I am!"

"Then maybe we'll leave…" The twins smiled, looking at Tamaki.

"You wouldn't…"

"Knock it off. We're starting in 15 minutes." Kyoya had stood up from his table, closing his computer and glancing over at them. The theme was no theme. Tamaki had decided we could all wear our school uniforms and focus completely on charm. Needless to say, the twins had been a little disappointed, but Tamaki didn't mind much. Kyoya agreed to it and I didn't care, so Tamaki was happy.

The 15 minutes passed and girls began coming in, watching and screaming at all the acts. I couldn't help but smile, watching the twins go at it. _They don't even look like they're pretending, they're such naturals! _Although it did make me wonder, it wasn't my concern.

The club wore on as usual, rotation after rotation. I met some interesting girls, but most of the ones I saw today were regulars. Before I knew it, it was closing time. _Past _closing time, actually. _Why hasn't Kyoya-sempai closed down the club yet? It's 45 minutes past closing…_

I turned to the next girl who took a seat with me. She was my next rotation. "So what's your name?"

"Jain."

"Jain. Nice to meet you, Jain! What year are you in?"

"Nice to meet you too, Haruhi! I'm a second year student."

"Oh! Is second year any fun?" I began pouring her some tea and she thanked me.

"Well, it's as fun as school can get! I can't say I would ever trade attending Ouran, though. It's so much fun!"

"I know. This is only my first year and I'm having a great time! Do you have any good friends?"

"Oh yes!" She continued talking, and I listened attentively. I heard the door open behind me and I turned on the couch to see a taller man walking into the host club. He was an adult, wearing glasses and he reminded me of Kyoya. He glanced around the room and before I could ask Tamaki who he was, the girls were being apologized to. Everyone had to leave and they would be compensated tomorrow.

Needless to say, many upset groans went through the air as the girls filed past the man to leave.

"Father. What are you doing here?" Kyoya's voice right behind me, on the other side of the couch, startled me.

"You're late, Kyoya. I suspected you would be here."

"I informed you of where I would be before I left for school this morning."

"We agreed upon a time for you to get home, Kyoya. I thought I was clear."

"With all due respect sir-"

"I lost track of time." Tamaki had tried stepping up for Kyoya, but Kyoya didn't like help. He was a business man. He made others pay him back and expected to pay others back. Therefore, he would not accept the unnecessary help.

"That was extremely irresponsible of you." He walked into the room further, inspecting it. His form was strict and uncaring. "This is what you waste your spare time doing?"

"I wouldn't call it a waste, but yes." Kyoya seemed even more unreadable and emotionless than he usually was. _I've never met his father before… He's so strict._

Mr. Ootori walked over to Kyoya, standing in front of him. "Why did you not return home."

"I told you, I lost track of time."

"That's no excuse."

"It's the only one I have-" Kyoya's words were interrupted by a harsh backhand slap across the face.

"Kyoya-" I tried going over to help him but both the twins grabbed my arms, keeping me back.

"Don't bother," Kaoru started.

"you'll make things worse." Hikaru finished. Mr. Ootori remained standing, uncaring. Heck, his son could be crying and he wouldn't care. _That's where Kyoya-sempai gets it…_ I stared in shock.

"Get up." Kyoya rubbed his cheek, picking his glasses up and replacing them on his face. He stood up and his father began going to the door. Kyoya followed, not saying anything to any of us before walking out.

"Was that his dad?" The twins nod at me.

"He's so strict and holds high expectations for Kyoya." The twins spoke together, like one person.

"He doesn't listen to Kyoya that much." Tamaki spoke solemnly, almost blaming himself. Everyone sat in silence for a while. Then, one by one we all started cleaning and leaving. I walked home, thinking about Kyoya. About why his father would smack him so carelessly and about how he just showed up and took him home. He seemed to heartless. _It must be a rich-people thing._

I'd never really felt bad for any of the spoiled brats in the host club, but I couldn't help it. I felt bad to Kyoya, having to live a life like that. I wondered if that happened to Kyoya often, since he didn't say anything. Just seeing that simple scene tonight helped answer a good few questions about Kyoya for me.

See? Two could play that game. Kyoya could use all his resources and find out as much as he liked about me, I didn't need the resources. I was observant.

I got home, put myself to bed instantly and half wondered what happened to Kyoya when he got home, but the thought quickly left my mind as sleep overcame me.

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><p>The next days passed by monotonously. Kyoya didn't show up for school, which was odd for him. He was so smart, it must have been his fathers doing. Everyone in the host club agreed to it.<p>

"Maybe we should rescue him!" Honey jumped out of his seat, leaving his most recent piece of cake uneaten. Takashi just shook his head, and Honey-sempai cast his eyes to the ground. "We have to help him, right Mori?"

"There might not be anything we can do."

I looked to our great leader who was sitting in a corner, feeling guilty. The twins were trying to console him, but they weren't very good. He just kept planting his mushrooms.

"Boss!" Hikaru, on his right.

"It's not your fault!" Kaoru on his left.

"I should have kept an eye on the time."

"It's just a mistake! Anyone could have made it!"

"But did you see the way Mr. Ootori slapped him? Mommy looked so hurt! You couldn't tell, but I could!" Tamaki was genuinely worried. Heck, I'd never seen him quite like this. Well… not about Kyoya yet.

Both twins sat in silence for a moment before Kaoru spoke. "So… the host club? Are we going to hold meetings still or not?"

"Well… I think without mommy there's no point." Tamaki sat in his corner, hugging his knees. "I'm such a terrible daddy! How could I let this happen?" The twins passed a glance before looking to me for help. I shrugged, no clue really how to help.

"Has anyone tried calling him?" I offered. _Everyone_ in the room simultaneously nodded except me. Great. Feeling bad… now.

"We tried calling but wound up yelling at his dad… and got put on an ignore list for their home phone." The twins smirked together a bit. "And he wont pick up his cell phone.

"Which means Mr. Ootori might have taken it." I put my hands on my lap trying to think. Nobody said much of anything for the rest of the 'meeting'.

A few more days passed and everyone decided it'd be safest if the host club was placed temporarily on the side. Without an accountant -and with Tamaki's spending skills- the club would probably go bankrupt within the month. With that being agreed upon, the announcement went out the next day.

_Ouran Academy Host Club temporarily closed.  
>We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience,<br>We will inform everyone when it is open for business again.  
>Thank you for your patience,<br>You're all wonderful.  
>Keep it up.<br>_

_Love,  
>The King.<em>

Everyone could tell this was going to be a rough time. I had never even noticed how important our shadow king was. _He's always so quiet…_

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><p><em><strong>Please please please PLEASE rate and review! I definitely want to hear what you're thinking about the first chapter. I usually don't type such short things, but this one turned out short.<strong>_

As a matter of fact, I've got the first 4 chapters typed already and they're all a little on the short side. Oh well! If you guys like, I'll keep going.

The next chapter will probably be posted Monday, May 16th. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. The Phone Conversation

A/N: To all of my adoring fans, THANK YOU! I loved the positive reviews! I don't mind criticism if there's something I should take into consideration that I'm not. But thank you so much for the positive reviews!

Special thanks to anon, Merlina-Vulturi, and Flora-chan for being my first 3 reviews on chapter 1! You guys rock!

Alright, this is chapter 2! I know I said I'd post it tomorrow, but I figured I'd be nice and post it today! It's a simple chapter. Things don't really get interesting at all in this chapter, but it's necessary for later chapters. So enjoy!

Again, this chapter is really short. Sorry about that, guys. Usually things I type are longer. But I'm planing on making the chapters progressively longer for this story as I go, so hopefully that will go well!

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><p>I rolled over in my bed, staring at the cell phone the twins gave me. "Why are you idiots calling me at 3 in the morning…" I spoke to myself, yes. Reaching out, I took the phone and answered it.<p>

"Hello?" I sounded sleepy, they didn't.

"Haruhi! We found out what happened to Kyoya!"

"It couldn't have waited-"

"No! We've got the others on the line too."

"All at once? How-"

"Ever heard of 4 way chat? The four phones in the conversation are ours, yours, Tamaki's, and Honey & Takashi."

"Hi!"

"Hello!"

"Haruhi! I told you bone heads not to wake her up! Are you alright, Haruhi? I'm sorry they woke you up! I told them not to! It's okay, daddy will make it all better!"

"Shut up, we'll kick you out of the conversation."

I rubbed my eyes. "Guys, you're all speaking at once. Stop it." They got quiet. Honey even sounded awake. This must have been important if Honey was awake at 3 in the morning. "Alright, where's Kyoya-sempai?"

The line remained silent, waiting on a twin response. By quiet, I meant nothing but the occasional sound of a rustling bed or a yawn.

"We got through to his dad," Hikaru began.

"He wasn't happy, but he finally picked up on us again."

"We asked if we could come over to talk to Kyoya"

"And he scolded us for calling at 2:30 in the morning."

"So we're not the only ones getting calls?" I asked, still tired.

"That's beside the point!" The twins both spoke at once.

"He scolded us," Kaoru continued.

"And then said Kyoya wasn't permitted to see any of his old friends."

"He said we were bad influences for his son."

"In order to have any chance of doing anything remotely important in life,"

"Kyoya would need to be separated from us and go to a better school than Ouran Academy."

"He's transferring schools?" Everyone except the twins yelled/whispered this through the phone almost simultaneously and I thought it was almost amusing. If it weren't for the present situation, I would have found it funny. But, this was serious.

"He's going to a boarding school and he's going to be cut off from all of us! Mr. Ootori sounded set on it."

Everyone was silent for a bit, then I decided to break the silence as I sat up.

"You don't know what school?"

"He wouldn't tell us."

"When does he leave?"

"Not for another month."

"So we have time to save mommy?" Tamaki practically shouted. The resounding 'shh' from everyone made him subside from his cheering.

"We have to act, though." The twins sounded like they were trying to think of a plan, but they weren't the master minds.

"Men! -and woman-, this is operation 'save - Kyoya - and - keep - him - from - going - to - boarding - school - so - that - his - dad - doesn't - ruin - his - life - and - so - the - host - club - doesn't - die'!" My head spun at that name. "Twins, we're going to need a very large net."

"Um… boss?"

"Honey, I'm going to need you and Takashi to come with me on the run!"

"Boss."

"Haruhi, I need you to have an escape vehicle-"

"Boss! We can't kidnap him!" Tamaki sat in silence for a while, before sighing.

"Alright. Any other ideas?" I tried prompting them to keep going because eventually, something useful would have to come of brainstorming.

"No. To tell you guys the truth," Tamaki began, "I never really thought of the plans for the host club. The better ones were mommy's…" Nobody said anything. No one was surprised. "Guys?"

"He is the shadow king…" I couldn't help myself.

"You think he's a better king than me?" I heard the sound of a phone dropping.

"Boss? Boss…" The twins started.

"He must have gone into his depression zone."

"Am I really that bad?…"

"This isn't helping, guys! We need an idea. What about you, Honey?"

"He fell asleep." Takashi said simply.

"Oh." The twins sighed.

"Have you tried calling, Haruhi?"

"No. I don't know his phone number."

"We can give it to you!"

"I'd rather not just call his house out of the blue."

"I can go over to his house." Tamaki was back for now.

"That might be useful…"

"One problem," Kaoru began.

"Mr. Ootori doesn't seem to like you very much." Hikaru finished again.

There was whimpering from Tamaki's end.

"And Takashi and Honey have no reason to go visit. Mr. Ootori hates all of us…"

"But you could go, Haruhi!" Kaoru finished this time.

"I can't show up out of the blue! I don't have a reason to!"

"Sure you do! You're the honors student! Tell Mr. Ootori you need a little tutoring, I'm sure he'll-" Hikaru.

"I don't need tutoring!"

"C'mon, Haruhi! It's for the betterment of the club!"

"Please!" Kaoru finished, again. Tamaki had fallen silent.

"I don't think Tamaki likes the idea; me being at Kyoya's house by myself."

"Tamaki's 'fatherly opinion' doesn't matter right now!"

"This is practically life or death!" The two twins kept talking to me and it was getting harder to tell each of them apart.

"Guys, I can't. I-"

"I'll cut your debt in half." Tamaki spoke again and the twins fell silent.

"Tamaki, I-"

"I said I'd do it. We need mommy back, Haruhi." I sat in silence for a while before looking at the clock.

"Guys, can we talk about this tomorrow after school?" There was agreeing from the other lines and everyone hung up. I drifted back off into sleep.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Please rate and review! And, I love reviews that aren't a simple 'hey, this was really good! Keep writing! can't wait for the next chapter! update soon!' kind of stuff. You can leave a slightly more personalized review! Thanks! I love you all!

Next update should plan for Sunday, May 22nd.

Ta-ta for now!


	3. The Plan

A/N: Thanks so much to o0Alyssa0o and twixy-chin for reviewing on chapter 2! You made my day!

o0Alyssa0o: It's based on the anime since I've never read the manga. XD The characters are a little OOC because I needed it to work into the story. I'm planning (we'll see how this works) on having the slapping play in later. I know Haruhi would have spoken out, but I need her not to. XD I hope the characters aren't EXTREMELY OOC... that'd be bad. ^^

Answer your question?

Here's chapter 3! I know I promised it for tomorrow, but one day early can't hurt anyone!

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><p>I got to school the next day and the twins were exceptionally nice to me. Probably trying to butter me up. All day, they carried my bag and books and stayed right by my side. They even walked me to music room 3 after school where we were meeting up with everyone else.<p>

When we got there, they placed my bag down on the couch and smiled at me. "So have you made your decision?"

"As if I haven't noticed you guys all day and thought about it…" They smiled wider and I scowled at them. Tamaki walked in and ran over to me, hugging me.

"Oh Please tell me you'll do it, daughter dear! We need mommy! Our family wont be the same without him!" Only these people would jump right into the conversation without a simple hello first.

"I already said, I can't just show up randomly. It's not polite."

"But if you call first, Mr. Ootori might turn you down!" Kaoru began.

"If you ride your bike there, however," Hikaru continued.

"He might not turn you down!" _Tamaki_ finished? The twins and I looked at him as he was still clinging to me. "See? I can do that 'finish - someone - elses - sentence - for - them' thing that you guys always do!" The twins sighed, looking at the ground.

Honey and Takashi walked in, setting their bags down as well. Honey looked exhausted and Takashi had a red cheek. "What happened to you?"

Honey's eyes started watering and the twins shared a worried glance. "Takashi tried waking me up this morning and I- I…" His eyes were watering a lot as Takashi picked him up, putting him on his shoulders.

"He was still tired from being called at 3 in the morning."

"Sorry…" The twins both rubbed the spikes in the back of their hair nervously. I looked around the group, slightly confused.

"What's that have to do with Takashi's cheek?" The twins glanced at each other and then at me.

"Honey's not a morning person." They began. "And, being part of the Haninozuka family, he is a master of pretty much fighting in general." They continued.

"I punched Mori!" Honey was crying, obviously still feeling terrible.

"C'mon. Lets go eat cake." Takashi began walking towards one of the tables, setting Honey and Usa-chan down before going to get them some cake.

The twins shared a nervous laugh. "Next time, we wont call you Honey." I began trying to pry Tamaki's arms off of me. The twins came over, each of them taking one of us and beginning to walk in opposite directions.

"What'd you do, Tamaki? Cover yourself with glue?"

"No! I want an answer first!"

"I can't just show up, Tamaki!" Both twins glanced at each other, and then let us go. "Hey! Guys? What happened to the help?"

"You've gotta do this, Haruhi!" Kaoru walked over, putting an arm around my shoulder. "The fate of the host club lies in this!" I looked at him, then at Tamaki, and then at Hikaru. They all seemed set on this idea. I started shaking my head, but when I glanced down at Tamaki, he was giving me puppy eyes.

"Tamaki, stop. I'm not doing this." He continued. "Sempai… stop." I pressed my lips together before glancing at the others. They weren't going to help me. I resisted for 3 minutes before sighing. "Fine. What would I have to do?"

"YIPEE!" Tamaki hugged me even tighter.

"Tamaki… Sempai… I can't… breath…" I tried squirming away from him, but the twins pulled him away for me. Then, they hugged me.

Tamaki stood up, brushing himself off as they stopped. "Here's what you must do;

1) Ride your bike to the Ootori estate. We'll provide you with it's location.

2) Knock on the door.

3) Wait for an answer.

4) When Mr. Ootori answers, say hello. You will need-"

"I think she knows how to act generally, boss." The twins both looked slightly annoyed looking at him.

"Fine… I was just making sure. I wanted to make sure my little girl would be alright." The twins glanced at each other as he continued. "Once you're in, ask Mr. Ootori if you can go to Kyoya's room to study. Tell him you have some school questions and that you admire his intellect. Make sure you get at least 15 minutes!"

I sat listening, trying to keep track. "Go to Kyoya's room and close the door. Never mind! Keep it open a crack! Don't let his dad listen in, though! Then, call the twins. They'll connect you to our phones. It'll be another giant phone conversation. This way, we can have contact with Kyoya to pick his mind for a brilliant plan!"

"So… I've got to lie to him?" My head sat spinning. Lying wasn't really my thing. Sure, I'm actually a girl. But I'd never _told _anyone I was a boy! They just assumed it! I have no issues with people knowing I'm a girl!

"Don't wear guys clothes, either. Mr. Ootori, I'm sure, knows that the honors student is a girl. He'll expect you to be wearing girls clothes. Otherwise, you'll be asked questions."

"A-alright." The twins gave me a concerned look.

"You've got this! And if something goes wrong,"

"We're only a phone call away!" Hikaru finished for Kaoru. I nodded.

"You'll probably need to go over at 7:00 so you're not stuck eating dinner at their house. But, don't go too late otherwise Mr. Ootori will be mad and consider it rude! Would 6:30 be better?" Tamaki looked at the twins and I stood still, head spinning.

"6:45" They said in unison.

"Very well. Because you're riding your bike, you're going to want to leave at 6:00, the very latest. He lives a good distance from you mainly because their family has a rather large estate and a lot of land."

"A 45 minute bike ride _at least?_ Geez guys…" I sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"We're sure you'll do fine!" Kaoru gave me a thumbs up.

"We have the utmost confidence in you!" Hikaru continued.

"Thanks guys. I'm going home to get something to eat." With that, I turned and started for the door.

"Don't forget your cell phone!" The twins called.

"I'll await your call, darling!" Tamaki called after them. I gave a small nod, beginning to walk home.

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><p>AN: There you go! I loved the reviews! Thank you so much! Keep up the personalized reviews! To all of you who care to follow, I do have 7 chapters typed so far but I will continue to space out their publishing! They do get slightly longer (with one exceptionally long chapter). ^^

Oh, and before I forget, I'm starting another story that is co-existing with this one. I have the first chapter posted (The story is called "behind the scenes") and I'm willing to take requests. The idea of the story is that I will type chapters that are occurring at the same time as these chapters, but it's what's happening to other members of the host club. I'll explain it more with the first chapter of that story/series of short stories in case you don't understand.

Alright, I look forward to your reviews! Thanks so much, you're all awesome! Expect the next chapter Sunday, May 29th.


	4. The Ootori Estate

A/N: Hey, guys! Thanks for reviewing my last chapter!

o0Alyssa0o: This chapter was longer, but I wanted to cut it a little. You'll see what I mean. ;)

Alright guys, here's the next chapter. Sorry that the characters are a little OOC. Also, I had to get my own idea of what Kyoya's brothers would act like for the sake of the story. Just a heads up.

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><p>I walked home, considering what all I would have to say to Mr. Ootori to be allowed to see his son.<p>

_Would he ask how I know him? I can't say the host club. I'm an honors student, I can say we have a class together. I could say he was recommended to me by a teacher. I'm not that bad in school… I could say we met in the hall a while ago and hit it off!… Kyoya doesn't seem like that type of person. Maybe he wont ask._

_What if he doesn't let me in? Do I just walk home? That'd be tough. How could I just walk away after being denied?_

_What if Mr. Ootori doesn't like me like the others say he will?_

_What if it storms tonight while I'm riding my bike? _

I felt a shiver go up my spine. I hope not. It looked fine right now, but the weather could change quickly. There was so much more that could go wrong and my stomach felt queasy.

_What if he offers to help me himself? I need to prepare a couple questions just in case._

_What if he doesn't let me talk to Kyoya on my own?_

_What if he walks in on us?_

_If he takes my phone?_

_What if Kyoya doesn't want to talk to me?… … …_

The last thought startled me slightly. I normally wouldn't worry about that, but it could pose a problem.

_I know! I just wont let myself care! It doesn't matter whether he wants to talk to me or not! It's for the good of the host club!_

My stomach turned at the thought of going to Kyoya's 'estate'. I didn't particularly want to go to anyone's mansion and/or estate. I liked my small little apartment!

_What if I get lost? I'm being ridiculous!_

I calmed myself down, arriving at home. I set my bag down, looking around. Dad wasn't home yet. Geez. It's already 4:30. I sighed, sitting down and making myself some tea. I didn't want to eat while my stomach was in a knot. It could wait until I was done making a fool of myself. It'd probably be fine, anyway.

_You're doing this to pay off your debt._ My dad wasn't home by 5:45 so I wrote a note and placed it on the table.

_Dear dad,  
>I'm at a friends house studying. I'll be back sometime late tonight. I took my bike. I'll call if I need anything. Thanks!<br>Lots of love,  
>Haruhi<em>

I left the note and went outside, getting on my bike and pulling my phone out. Sure enough, the twins had texted me the address. "I know where that is." I'd never been there before, but I recognized the street name.

So I started off and sure enough, I didn't get there until 6:55. "Good judgment of time, guys. Great job." I got off my bike, walking it up the enormous driveway and taking one look at the estate. I stood in awe for what felt like an eternity. "How can anyone live in a place like this?…"

New fear: _What if I get lost?_

I swallowed my raising fears, putting my kick stand down and going up to the door. With a breath, I raised my hand and rang the doorbell. Then, I waited for, again, what felt like an eternity. But eventually, a butler opened the door and stood aside, letting me into the first hall.

I took my shoes off as he asked for my name.

"Haruhi. It's nice to meet you. Can I talk to Kyoya-sempai?" I made my voice sound stronger than my stomach and knees felt. He told me to wait and walked off. I admired the bare walls and the length of the hall.

Then, minutes later, the butler came back. "Mr. Ootori will see you." I followed the butler through a series of halls until we came to what seemed like a living room setting. Mr. Ootori, whom I recognized from our last host club meeting, was sitting on a couch. On another couch were, what I presumed, two siblings of Kyoya's. They looked similar to him.

"Haruhi, I presume?" I nodded. He stood and walked over, extending his hand. I took it and shook. He gave me a formal smile. "Pleasure to meet you. Please, have a seat." Kyoya's siblings both took one good look at me and I could tell they didn't approve.

And at that moment, I felt I could read someone's mind for once in my life. Their thoughts were probably in unison: _commoner_.

"So, Haruhi. What brings you to the Ootori estate?"

I sat down. "I need to talk to Kyoya-sempai." He looked up at me, wishing for me to continue. I obliged. "I'm having some issues in math" (A complete lie, but Kyoya is good at math) "and was wondering if I could ask Kyoya for help."

"Surely there's someone in your class who can explain it to you." Didn't consider that one.

"Well, I asked other people in my class. They confused me terribly. I happen to know that Kyoya has a talent with numbers and I was hoping he could better explain it to me so I could properly study for the unit test. I need to watch my grades." I stopped myself there before I started rambling.

He sat in silence for a while, considering. Then, he gave a small nod. I felt my heart leap at how easy that had been. "Alright. I'll come get you when you need to leave. Beatrice here will show you to his room."

"Thank you, Mr. Ootori." I gave a small bow before following the maid up the stairs and to the right, past room after room. _Stupid rich people. I'll bet half of these rooms are empty or unused._

She stopped outside a room, which I assumed was Kyoya's. It was already 7:20. Hard to believe. The others would probably be getting anxious by now.

I knocked. "Kyoya-sempai?" There were footsteps before the door was opened and Kyoya was standing before me. He looked so different in just a button up shirt and black pants- no Cosplay costume and no school uniform. There was no tie, so I could clearly see his top two buttons were undone.

"Haruhi? Why are you here?" The maid walked away and I held up my math book, having already noted the cameras in the halls. He glanced around before stepping aside and letting me into his room.

Then, he closed the door and looked at me. "Tamaki's brilliant idea?" I gave a small nod, shivering slightly. His estate was cold. I stood in my spot, looking around his huge room. He walked over, sitting on the couch and looking at me. "Well are you going to come have a seat?" I blinked, looking over at him. Then, I nodded and took a seat next to him. The back of the couch was to the door so if we had the books open on the table in front of us, we were going to look just fine.

So I opened my math book and placed a notebook on the table as well before pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. Kyoya smirked, watching me as I dialed the twins number and placed the phone on speaker (quiet volume, of course so we wouldn't get caught).

The twins picked up with a "hello?", but we could hear all the commotion in the background. I was almost an hour late.

"Sorry, guys. He lives further away than I expected."

"Did you walk?' Kyoya looked at me, his face still unreadable.

"No! I rode a bike." He smirked, looking at the phone I held between us.

"Kyoya!" Honey cheered through the phone. The others began saying their welcome backs before Tamaki shouted above all of them.

"MOMMY! You're back! I've missed you, mommy dear!"

"Mh… you too… daddy." I glanced over at Kyoya and couldn't help but notice that his right cheek happened to have a small shade of red to it. _Does his dad hit him often?… Geez._

"Are you really leaving us?" Honey asked and everyone could hear the innocence and despair in his voice.

"Not if I can help it, honey-sempai."

"We need an idea." Kaoru began.

"Well we don't have much time." Kyoya continued. "My father probably wont let Haruhi up here unattended for long. It's just math." Inwardly, I scolded myself for not thinking of a better excuse.

The rest of them took off into conversation and after about 5 minutes, Kyoya gently took the phone from my hand so he could hold it, he being the one doing most of the talking.

"We need a way to be in contact with you more, Kyoya." Hikaru said.

"I don't see how. My father will only buy the tutoring bit once, maybe twice. Especially coming from an honors student. But he wont let any of you guys over." Kyoya leaned back on the couch, relaxing. I shivered again, regretting not bringing a jacket. I only had a t-shirt on and his estate was cold. Why did he seem so warm? Probably used to it.

I kept my eyes trained on the phone, but he looked at me. Then, he stood up, continuing the conversation while walking over to his closet. He pulled a zipper jacket out of it and walked back over, handing it to me.

I looked surprised for a moment, but shook my head. "I'm fine, really." I didn't say it loud enough for the phone.

He perked an eyebrow, but didn't take back the offer. He left his hand out with the jacket, continuing to look at me. After a moment, I sighed and took the jacket. It was black, had long sleeves, and was unbelievably warm.

"Thanks." He nodded.

_Hm… It smells like Kyoya. _Not that I'd memorized his scent, but putting on his jacket, I smelled something that seemed very appropriate to Kyoya. It was sorta relaxing as I wrapped it around myself. It was a little big, but I made do.

Kyoya sat still, listening to everyone's ideas about how to keep in contact with him. He seemed to be smirking, almost as if he had an idea. Then, he looked at me.

"My father allowed you up here because you're the honors student, and he therefore likes you. Right?" I gave a small nod. The phone conversation grew quiet, though neither of us noticed right away. I could hear footsteps coming up the hall.

"I can think of one surefire way to make him not force me to boarding school." I leaned forward, eagerly listening as the footsteps came closer up the hall.

"You have an idea that you know will work?"

"For sure." He smirked, but it seemed strictly professional. He didn't put on as much emotion as Tamaki seemed to notice.

The footsteps came closer to the door, seeming to slow down.

"Do you want to go for it?" He looked at me, a flash reflecting off his glasses. I was confused.

"Go for what? You haven't told me the idea." He tossed the phone under the table as the door opened and he gragged my arm.

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><p>haha! That's what I meant; it's a cliff hanger! I've always wanted to do one of those! Muahahahahah! Now, you'll have to wait till next week to see what the brilliant idea is! Any guesses? When you review, post your idea! It's welcome! I'll even tell you if you're right or wrong!<p>

Same deal, next Sunday=next chapter. This chapter has a nice, sweetness in and of itself. Hope you all enjoyed! Please review! You've all been wonderful!

Also, Behind the Scenes is posted. If you like this, you should go read it and send in a request or two! I have a few chapters typed for it, but I can't post them yet because they're of future chapters. :(

Anyway, you're all wonderful! Thanks you, I look forward to hearing from you!


	5. Kyoya's big plan

A/N: Hey! Here's the next chapter!

Thank you sooo much for reviewing! Nobody asked to be given the answer, so here it is! I'm loving the reviews, thank you all sooo much!

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><p>The footsteps kept getting closer to the door. We had a cell phone out and were trying to think of a way to keep in contact with our shadow king. I had been stumped on ideas.<p>

The footsteps getting closer were constantly in the back of my head while I tried keeping up with what Kyoya seemed to be thinking. I couldn't.

"Do you want to go for it?"

"Go for what? You haven't told me the idea." The cell phone was discarded under the table, the footsteps stopped right outside the door, and I was afraid that we'd gotten nothing accomplished. Before I could ask again, Kyoya grabbed my arm and pulled us together, stopping his face inches before mine as his dad walked in. Being that close, I could smell everything about him. It had a sort of spice to it, but it was kinda sweet at the same time.

My face was inches away from his and I was looking straight into his grey eyes. This was the first time we'd ever been that close, actually. He looked into my eyes, seeming to search me for all the answers he needed. His eyes were calm and business-like, and I couldn't read him back. It was more than a little unfair.

I couldn't figure out what he was doing, but he seemed to know. His eyes held an 'all knowing' look and I could feel his fathers eyes on us. My breath was hitched and a blush slowly came to my cheeks as I slowly realized what this looked like.

"Kyoya." His father said simply. Kyoya turned to look at his father and I lost sight of his eyes. He was still close, though. Close enough that I felt a temperature difference when his breathing wasn't pointed at me any more.

"Yes, father."

"I need to speak to you." Kyoya gave a small nod, standing and releasing my arm before going to the door. Mr. Ootori closed the door behind them and I couldn't hear what was being said. I bent over, retrieving the phone and talking quietly.

Well, I would talk quietly if I started talking. Tamaki was yelling over the phone.

"Haruhi! What did he do! The phone got dropped! I heard it, I know I did! What did he do? His dad came in, I heard him! What did mommy do to you? What's his plan!"

"Um… nothing. I don't know. His dad came in and asked to speak to him. They're in the hallway, keep quiet." I stuck the phone under the cover of my math book and spread random papers out as Kyoya walked in. His cheek was really red, but he looked just fine.

"Kyoya, I-" He shook his head, walking over and taking a seat next to me again. He pulled my phone out from under my math book and began trying to calm everyone down.

"I've got another 7 minutes or so."

"What was your big plan? What did you do to our little girl?" Tamaki was still screaming and even the twins had stopped trying to talk to him.

"Relax. I have it all under control." I looked at him bewildered and he gave me his professional smirk again. "Haruhi?"

"Yeah."

"How would you like to be my girl-friend?"

"YOUR WHAT?" Tamaki started shouting even more. "It's not right! Mommy can't date our little girl like that! It's just not fair! What did you do to her? If this was your sick plan all along I swear you'll… you'll…"

"I'll what?…" Kyoya-sempai looked back at the phone a little curious.

"I don't know, but you wont be happy!" He sounded like he was regressing into his depression zone again. "It's just not fair…"

"Sempai?" Kyoya looked over at me.

"Yes, Haruhi?"

"How would that keep you here?"

He flashed me his professional smile. The one only Tamaki-sempai could read through. "My father is fond of you. That's why he allowed you to come talk to me. You see, he wouldn't have let the others near me because they're a 'bad influence'. But you're not a bad influence.

"My father has it in his mind that if I don't do _something_ worthwhile, I'll be a _complete_ disgrace to the Ootori family. You're the honors student. You're such a good influence, he could overlook you being a commoner."

"Gee, thanks."

"And therefore, if we were dating, he'd want me to have the ability to continue that relationship. Now, he wont necessarily allow me to go back to Ouran Academy-"

"Then what's the point of taking our little girl for yourself?" I hadn't realized Tamaki was still listening.

"The point is that he wont force me to a boarding school. He'll probably keep me around here and allow Haruhi to come see me or, maybe even let me out with her occasionally. It allows me to stay in contact with you morons."

"HEY!" The twins and Tamaki all shouted together.

"You can't date Haruhi!" Kaoru started.

"We need to find a different way!" Hikaru continued.

"This wont last long!" -Kaoru

"Besides, she probably doesn't-" -Hikaru

"It makes sense." I cut them off, seeing no issue with the plan. The phone went silent until Tamaki spoke.

"But, Haruhi?" I couldn't tell who said that.

"It's a good plan. If his dad wont force him to go away, then it can work. After all, it's just cosplay, right?" I smiled at Kyoya, who gave me a bemused smirk back.

"Cosplay, correct." He looked down at the phone. "See?"

"So wait… are Haru-chan and Kyo-chan going to be dating now?" Honey asked through the phone.

"It appears so." Mori answered.

"Aww! That's so sweet! Isn't it, Usa-chan?"

"NO NO NO! It's not actually real!" Tamaki started yelling again.

"Guys, my father is going to be back soon. Sorry to end this lovely call, but I need to hang up." He hung up before the others could say anything.

"That was a little rude, don't you think?"

"No, not particularly." He looked over at me, the light catching his glasses for a moment before his grey eyes came back into view. "There was nothing to be gained from talking to them. You're only going to be allowed to stay for another few minutes anyway, so there was really no point being yelled at."

"Well, you could have proposed the idea a little better. I can tell you were thinking about it for a while before your dad came in." He perked his eyebrows, looking at me.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. You know, part of me thinks you did it to annoy Tamaki."

"Intriguing idea."

"But that doesn't make any sense."

"Oh? Why not?"

"You're too nice to do that."

"I'm too nice?" He smiled, looking up at the ceiling. He was almost laughing at me. "You call how I act 'too nice'?"

"Well, yes. I see how you act everyday! You go through all the trouble to make yourself seem like a jerk, but at the end of the day, you're nice." He shrugged and I smiled. "Seems counter-intuitive if you ask me."

He began closing my math book and gathering my notes for me, so I started taking his sweater off. "Here."

"No. You have to ride your bike home. Just hold onto it for now. Besides, it'll add a nice touch." I nod, putting the sweater back on and taking my book and notes, placing them in my bag.

Kyoya walked me to the door of his bedroom and downstairs. His father was in the living room talking to Kyoya's brothers again when we got down there. "Done?" His father looked at Kyoya, who gave a small nod. Kyoya then walked me to the door of the estate, but I could feel his father and brothers watching us. Kyoya took my hand before I walked out, turned me around, and brought his lips practically to my forehead. He didn't touch me, though.

Instead, he whispered, "Keep up the act and it'll be over soon enough." To his family, it looked as if he'd just kissed me. His breath on my forehead made me blush a little, so I'm certain it looked believable.

I turned away from him and got on my bike. When I turned around, he had already gone back inside. I sighed, kicking the kick stand up and heading home.

_Did his dad slap him again because of me? I'd feel terrible if that was my fault. It __was__ his brilliant idea, though. I just don't understand how someone like Kyoya-sempai could think of something like that. He seems so… distant. Emotion wise, that is. He doesn't really do any flirting at the host club. He just does business. That's his life. Huh… _

I didn't get home until 8:50, so I put myself right to bed. Walking into my room, I discarded his sweater on the floor and crawled into my bed. Then, I glanced at the jacket. _I wonder if I need to clean it a certain way. Should I wear it to school? Or just to his house? I should be careful not to spill on it…_

_But it is black. He probably thought to give me a black one just in case._ I closed my eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>AN: Yes, I did it on purpose for everyone wondering. Please keep the reviews up, this is my best story so far!


	6. Preparations

A/N: Alright, there are a bunch of people asking for the update so, here it is! Enjoy!

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><p>I woke up to a banging on my door and the sound of my father opening the door. "Hello? Oh, yes! She's in her bedroom! I'll go get her!" *footsteps* *knocking* "Haruhi? There's a couple of boys here to see you."<p>

"Alright… I'll be out in a second." Standing, I looked at myself in the mirror. Morning, bed-head, no glasses, and Kyoya's sweater. I looked just lovely.

I glanced outside at the snow on the ground. Kyoya's sweater was handy last night, since I had been cold. Not to mention up late with the twins. The twins… two young men at my house asking to talk to me… oh god. They didn't!

I ran a brush through my hair and walked out of my room. Sure enough, Kaoru and Hikaru were there waiting for me. They were talking with my dad and really hitting it off. Hikaru noticed me though and he smiled. "Haruhi! Good morning, sunshine!" He walked over, placing his arm around my shoulder. "Say, Ranka-san, would you mind if we took your daughter out for a while?" Kaoru nodded, coming over and placing his arm around my shoulder, standing on my other side.

"Sure! Go right ahead! Have her back in time for dinner!" The twins passed a glance.

"Hasn't she told you?"

"Told me what?"

"She's got a date for dinner tonight that we want to help her-"

"GUYS!" I pulled away from the two of them as my dad looked at me.

"Haruhi? Do you have a date tonight?"

"It's just a friend dad. He called last night, but you were out. He's a school friend, dad. Really." I glared at the twins who just stuck their tongues out at me.

"We wanted to get her some clothes to wear to her date tonight."

"That's really not necessary, guys."

"I think it sounds like a great idea, Haruhi! I'm glad you've got special friends at school who want to hang out with you. And if it's a friend from school, they're probably rich and that means you should probably get a nice dress!"

"Because I don't own any already?" The question was more to myself than anything else, but the twins took my hands and began walking me out the door.

"We'll have her back in time to show you her outfit. Then, we'll give her a ride to her date!"

"Alright! Have fun, Haruhi! You too, boys!" I saw my dad waving and the twins brought me downstairs and to their limo.

"Guys, is this really necessary?"

"Yep!" Kaoru started.

"Besides,"

"You're the one who mentioned it!"

"Huh?" The limo started driving out of my neighborhood and I looked at them.

"You must have been"

"really tired last night." Hikaru finished.

_Flashback_

I had been laying in my bed, trying to sleep when my cell phone rang. "Great… who is it now. I just want some sleep, guys! It's Friday night!" I reached over, picking the phone up. "Hello?"

"Good evening, Haruhi." I was shocked at the sound of Kyoya's cold voice on the other end. I was half expecting it to be Tamaki _again_. I hadn't heard from Kyoya for a week now. Not since I left his estate and we started 'dating', though he was probably telling his dad we'd been dating for a while now to make it seem more established and less like an excuse.

"H-hello, sempai. Why are you calling me?"

"I'm sorry for calling you at such a late hour. I hope you weren't doing anything important."

"Nothing important. Just sleeping…"

"Alright. I was wondering if you would like to eat dinner with my family and I tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow? But… sempai."

"Is something wrong with tomorrow?"

"It's just… uh… Well. I was going…" I sighed. He was waiting on a good answer and I didn't have one. "Fine."

"Good. You can come tomorrow at 6:30"

"Uh… Thanks Kyoya-sempai."

"Just a heads up,"

"Yeah?"

"Don't call me sempai around my family."

"Um… alright… Kyoya."

"See you tomorrow." He hung up. I had laid back in my bed, but then I considered the fact that I had no idea how to be all proper at a rich peoples meal. I wouldn't have cared except for the fact that this operation only worked if Kyoya's dad approved of me. So, I had to make a good impression.

Call Tamaki? No, he'd yell.

Call Honey? He's not a morning person. He'd probably yell if I called him.

Call Mori? No, it might wake Honey.

That left the twins. I sighed, reluctantly calling them.

_End flashback_

"You know, to be quite honest, I'd forgotten I called you guys."

"You forgot?"

"How could you?"

"Don't fear!" They chimed in together. "We've got you taken care of."

"If you remember," Kaoru began.

"You said you needed a quick lesson on how to act in a formal setting."

"And you asked us for advice on what to wear!"

"Yeah, I didn't ask you guys to take me out to get something!"

"But this is so much more effective!" They smiled at me, sitting on either side of me as the driver pulled up to their mansion. "I-it's so huge… Do all rich people live in huge houses?…"

"Nah." Hikaru got out of his door.

"This is our smallest one." Kaoru got out too, holding the door for me.

"Smallest one…?"

"Yep!" Kaoru offered me his arm as Hikaru turned around, already at the front door.

"You guys coming?"

"Be right there, Hikaru!" I took Kaoru's arm politely as he walked me inside. We took our shoes off at the front door and I looked around.

"It looks so much bigger on the inside." I suddenly felt puny.

Both twins shrugged, walking up the stairs. I followed, silently. _I'm surprised they haven't made any sly remarks about my apartment… yet…_

They lead me into a dining room that had three places set.

"So, Haruhi?" Kaoru began.

"This is what the table setting will look like." They started listing off random facts about each utensil and how it should be used. Which course it should be used with and what the courses would be. There were so many other random facts too, my head was gonna explode!

"Guys! You're both talking so fast! I can't follow what half of this stuff is! Why will I need to know the name of each utensil and stuff?" They looked at each other.

"Hm…"

"Alright." Kaoru began.

"When in doubt," Hikaru continued.

"Work from the outside in." The smiled.

"Or,"

"Look to Kyoya."

"He'll be using the utensils the proper way for sure,"

"and he'll make sure you don't make a fool of yourself,"

"because he's probably counting on this."

"On me messing up?" The twins nodded.

"Not to sound rude,"

"but you _are_ a commoner." I frowned at the utensils. They were like a foreign language; you had to grow up knowing it to fully comprehend it. Otherwise, you'd never become fluent with it.

"Alright. So I'll watch Kyoya while I'm there. That gets me by for dinner, right?"

"Yep! But you still need proper attire!" both of them said.

"What?…"

"A dress! Last night," Kaoru

"you said" Hikaru

"and I quote" Kaoru again

" 'I have no idea what to wear. If I need to make a good impression on his dad, should I dress up? Not that I care, but we need to do this for sempai.'" They both finished.

"Geez you guys have a good memory."

"Yep! Sounded like you were nervous, so here we are!"

"Helping!"

"Guys, it's really not-"

"C'mon!" They both grabbed one of my hands and began pulling me through their enormously large house to another room where I was allowed to look at what felt like millions of dresses and outfits and such, some a little more outlandish than others.

"I can't."

"You can!" Hikaru was so happy.

"Just pick any dress you like,"

"put it on,"

"come out and show us,"

"and we'll give our input."

"You can try on as many as you'd like." They shut the door, leaving me in my own little world to stare at the dresses. Half of them didn't really count as dresses, though. They probably couldn't be worn in public, at least. So what's the point in even owning them?

I sighed, reluctantly walking the aisles and aisles of clothes and picking several simple ones out. Then, I glanced at the door just to make sure it was shut. Door shut: check. I dropped my clothes in a pile on the ground and slipped into the first dress. It was a simple pink dress with spaghetti straps. It went down to my knees and if I spun, it twirled out. I liked it, so I walked out of the room.

The twins were sitting on a chair, Kaoru in Hikaru's lap. They looked up at me and tilted their heads, giving me commands like 'walk forward', 'stop', 'turn', and 'spin'. I obliged, thinking this was a little much. Then they glanced at each other.

"It's not exactly… _you_."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I looked at Kaoru.

"Nothing offensive,"

"the dress just doesn't compliment you." Kaoru finished, slightly defending himself. I sighed, turning to go back into the room.

"Put on a dress that hides how flat-chested you are!" Hikaru, I think, called after me. I closed the door, looking down at myself.

"Well _I _thought you looked nice." I dropped the dress onto the floor and picked up the next one. This one was a small black dress that went halfway down my thighs. It hugged my body but wasn't tight around my chest. "Fine. You look pretty… ish." I went to walk out again, but tripped and fell over the discarded dress, creating a thump.

"You okay?" Both of them.

"Yeah, fine!" I called back. Then, I walked out again and followed the twins commands, again.

Kaoru smiled while Hikaru frowned.

"It's…"

"Black's not your color." Hikaru interjected. "Try something lighter."

"Well… she's going to a formal dinner," Kaoru continued. "at the Ootori estate, with Mr. Ootori sitting at the table himself."

"So? She could wear something lighter…"

"Maybe not black, but something like a deep blue. Calm and simple. It'll show she can be elegant when the occasion calls."

"Hm… I suppose." Hikaru shrugged. "Deep blue would look nice on you, Haruhi." I sighed, turning and going back in.

"Great. Now I've got to find a dark blue dress." I set off on my adventure in the gigantic room of dresses once again, searching out a dark blue one. It took a while, but I found one. It had sparse sparkles on the midnight blue fabric, went down to my knees, and had a white shall with it. "Hm… maybe they'll like this." I shrugged, taking it off the hanger and stepping into it.

"Haruhi? What's taking you so long?" They were shouting from the main room, already impatient.

"I'm coming. Just give me a minute!" I pulled the shall over my head, fixing the black button in the front. Then, I went to the door of the costume room, pulling it open and stepping out. Hikaru and Kaoru weren't sitting anymore. They had moved and were standing a few feet away from the door when I opened it. When they saw me, they both fell silent. I could see the awe in their eyes as they stood, staring. Hikaru's mouth opened slightly, but he closed it.

"You look…"

"gorgeous." Hikaru finished. Kaoru nodded in agreement as my face flushed bright red.

"You… really think so?" They both nodded, Kaoru moving around me and going into the costume room behind me. Hikaru stopped staring, casting his eyes to the ground beside him and away from me.

"I'm sure Kyoya-sempai and Mr. Ootori will approve." Kaoru reappeared from behind me and tapped on my shoulders.

"Sorry for interrupting, but you should put these on." I turned to face him, my face returning to normal. He handed me a pair of black stockings and matching blue shoes. "They're flats, so you wont die." He gave me a smile as I took them and thanked him. Then, I walked back into the costume room and put them on.

There was a mirror and I looked in it, just to satisfy my growing curiosity. I didn't see anything special, but it was different from the way I normally looked. I smiled slightly, walking back out. Kaoru smiled, giving me an approving nod. "Looks good, Haruhi." Hikaru nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, guys. I-"

"Time for makeup!" Kaoru grabbed my hand and pulled me off to the bathroom. Hikaru followed a little behind us, stepping into the bathroom and assisting Kaoru with my makeup. They finished a few minutes later with the sound of an opening door downstairs.

"Boys?" It was a woman's voice.

"Be right down, mom!" They shouted, offering their hands to help me stand up. I accepted and they brought me downstairs. "Mom, this is Haruhi."

"Oh. It's nice to meet you. I'm only here for a minute, boys and then I have to run again." They both gave a small nod. "She looks nice in that dress. Hikaru," Mrs. Hitachiin looked at Kaoru. "would you get me a cup of tea really quick?"

"I'm Kaoru, mom."

"I'm Hikaru." They indicated. She looked at the two of them.

"Whichever one I'm talking to, I've had a long day and I've got to go soon. Would one of you just get me a cup of tea?" They both nodded and left, being uncharacteristically quiet. Mrs. Hitachiin looked at me. She was on the taller side, dressed in an outfit I could only assume she'd created. Her hair was wavy and 'volumized', damn rich people. She was a ginger like her twins. "So are you their girlfriend?"

Her question drew me back from my train of thought as my cheeks gained a slight crimson color. "Oh, no. We're just good friends."

"Huh." She was pressing something into a digital PDA or something. She wasn't quite listening to me.

"Ma'am?"

"Yea…"

"Can't you tell your sons apart?" She glanced up at me, before looking back down.

"Nope. They're identical twins, it's impossible."

"That's not true. I can tell them apart."

"Then you're lying." Her words made me drop my lower jaw, but I stopped myself from talking. The twins came back in and handed her the cup. "Thank you, boys." She took a sip, stepping back to the door. "Have fun! I'll be back in about a week."

"Bye, mom." They chimed together. She disappeared behind the door and we all heard a car start up and drive off.

"That's terrible." The twins looked at me, slightly confused. "She can't tell you two apart." Hikaru remained quiet, leaning on a wall now.

"She's never been able to. No one has." Kaoru shrugged, offering me a cup of tea. I shook my head slightly and he set it down on the table. "We should get you to sempai's house."

"I'm sorry, guys. That must be tough." Kaoru looked up at me again, but Hikaru didn't move. He seemed really bothered, though he didn't want to talk about it.

Kaoru glanced at him, and then at me. "We'll give you a ride to Kyoya's estate. We've got a limo out front." I gave a small nod as Kaoru walked to the front door, slipping his shoes on and opening the door for me. I put my shoes on and looked at Hikaru, who hadn't moved.

"Well?" He glanced up at me. "Are you coming to drop me off?" I didn't want to leave him here alone. He gave me a small nod, standing and coming to the door. He put his shoes on and we all went out to the limo. I slid in last so I'd be near the door when we got to the Ootori estate.

The ride was mostly silent, but it wasn't terribly long either. Going by a motorized vehicle rather than a bike was much quicker. Not to mention, the twins lived much closer to Kyoya than I did. I gazed out the window as I pulled up to the massive estate once again. Somehow, it didn't look any less intimidating the second time. _I'd hate to live here._

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><p>AN: Here's the unfortunate fact. I haven't had time to sit down and type yet, so chapter 7 isn't finished. If I finish it by Saturday, I'll have it posted Saturday. If not, I'm going to be gone from Sunday to Friday, so chapter 7 might not be up for a couple weeks. Terribly sorry.

On the bright side, I'm enjoying your reviews! So far, I haven't received many negative reviews, so thank you all! Please, keep them coming! I love hearing from you! 

Oh, I've got this chapter typed from Kaoru's & Hikaru's perspective and it's posted in Behind the Scenes. I felt this would be an interesting chapter to type, so go look at it and please send me requests for that story too! Thanks!_  
><em>


	7. Author's note

_**A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for all the kind reviews I've received, I'm sorry I haven't posted in what seems like forever. I don't have my computer, I'm terribly sorry. I was typing the next chapter on it and my computer died. It's away being repaired currently. I'm on my sister's computer so I've been working on new fics, but can't update any old ones due to the lost progress. When my computer comes back in, I plan on working and updating. **_

_**Terribly sorry, THE FIC IS NOT DEAD! I WILL RETURN!**_


	8. The Date

**A/N: Heyo! Did you miss me? Judging by the reviews, you did! I'm soooooo incredibly sorry, I promise the fic's not dead! I've been so busy lately I didn't have time to think about the chapter. When I had 5-10 minutes, I would type bits of my Hetalia fic because that fic is all outlined and ready to go, laid out chapter by chapter. I don't have to invest a ton of time into each chapter. But here's the next chapter! I'm not sure when I'll get the following one up, but I'll try to not make it too long. ^.^**

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><p>I got out of the twins car and walked up to the door of the estate, barely hearing the limo pull away behind me. I lifted my hand, ringing the doorbell. It didn't take long for a butler to answer and let me in. I smiled, thanking him as I took my shoes off.<p>

"You're most welcome, ma'am." I blushed slightly hearing him refer to me as ma'am. He led me into the estate and announced my presence to the Ootori family. When I walked in behind him, I could see the entire family, I presumed, gathered into the living room. Mr. Ootori was sitting on a couch, Kyoya's brothers on another couch, and his _sister_? Standing a little away from them. Kyoya was leaning on the wall near his father, and he glanced up when I came in.

"Miss Fujioka, how nice to see you again." Mr. Ootori greeted me, standing up and holding his hand out. I shook his hand.

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Ootori." I smiled as he released my hand.

"Now that everyone's here, lets adjourn to the dining hall." Kyoya's family stood and began leaving, following the butler who was opening doors for them. I followed them and Kyoya followed close behind me, his hands in his pockets. We reached the dining hall and I stopped momentarily to take it all in.

The dining hall was massive and lit up by lights on the walls. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling reflected the light and sent brilliant glimmers about the room. The light reflected off all the shiny dinnerware and everything else in the room, practically. It was so elegant.

My stomach sank as I realized Kaoru and Hikaru had been right with the table setting. There were tons of different forks and spoons and knives and… cups…

I sighed, walking over and taking the seat I was directed to. Kyoya sat opposite me and glanced up as I adjusted the dress. It was slightly uncomfortable. I felt a slight nudge on my leg and stopped adjusting before Mr. Ootori noticed anything.

Hearing doors open, I glanced up to see butlers walking in and placing food in front of everyone sitting at the table; Mr. Ootori, me, Kyoya, Kyoya's brothers, and Kyoya's sister. _Where's his mom?…_

I looked at the food and all the utensils, then I glanced up at Kyoya. He picked up the fork on the edge and I did the same, following exactly what he did for the meal.

"So, Haruhi." I looked up at Mr. Ootori, swallowing the food in my mouth.

"Yes?"

"Were you able to do well on your test?" I was slightly confused, but then it dawned on me. That had been my excuse to visit a week ago. I gave a small nod.

"Yes. Kyoya was able to explain what I was doing wrong." Obviously, Mr. Ootori still bought the excuse. Another course went by in silence. It was rather awkward. I kept glancing up at Kyoya, following his lead through the meal. A little conversation came up about business near what I hoped was the end of the meal. Kyoya's brothers began discussing the family business with Mr. Ootori. Then, Mr. Ootori turned to me.

"So what do you plan on doing once you graduate, Haruhi?" I blinked, slightly caught off guard by the question.

"Well, I'd like to go to college. I was considering Harvard, in America."

"Hm…" He gave a small nod, approving of my goals. _Wonder what he would have done if I wanted to be a bartender or a manager of a store…_ "You plan on running a business, right? That's what Ouran Academy teaches students to do; take over their family's businesses."

I shook my head slightly. "No. I'd like to be a lawyer."

"I see." He slowly nodded. "And what does your father do?"

My stomach fell. He'd never approve of that. "He, uh… he serves drinks."

"At wine festivals?..."

"At a bar, sir."

He blinks, glancing up from his food. "At a bar?"

"Yes."

"Which one?"

"Oh, I don't know the name of the bar!" Lie.

"It's your father's business, shouldn't you know it?" Crap.

"Well, it's a bar and I'm a minor, sir. I haven't worried myself with the name of it." Lie.

"You do at least know where it's located? In case you were to need him."

_How am I supposed to answer that? Of course I know where my dad works, but these high society people wouldn't approve!_ After a moment of silence, I sighed. The only resolve was to tell the truth. I said the location of the bar.

"Hm…" He nodded, continuing to eat.

'_Hm'?... What's that supposed to mean? He does know the bar, right? Surely he doesn't approve! Then again, he probably never goes to bars. Heck, he's probably never been outside his rich person's circle before, so he probably doesn't even know the street the bar is located on, let alone the bar. He might not even know the town!_ I felt a smile creeping to my face as I continued eating, pleased with his ignorance. This wasn't going so bad after all. Why had I been so worried?

The butlers came and cleared our plates and the entire group moved back to the living area to be seated and talk a bit. Kyoya walked up right behind me. "Well done, Haruhi." It was spoken under his breath, but I could hear him just fine. "You followed dinner etiquette better than I'd expected."

_What's that supposed to mean?_ "Thanks. Does your father know the bar my dad works at?"

"No, but I assume he'll do like I did and get in contact with your father." My stomach flipped. I had forgotten Kyoya had been talking with my father long before I'd even 'introduced' them. If Kyoya could manage it easily, surely his father would think nothing of it.

"Mr. Ootori won't approve…"

"Not in the slightest."

I glanced up at Kyoya, who still had his eyes straight forward. "Why don't you care?"

He looked down at me for a second. "Care about what?"

"My father."

He looked forward. "It's none of my concern what he does and none of your concern what I think of it. You should focus on the situation at hand."

I stared forward too, feeling the silence settle between us. That was all that would be said on the topic, I could tell. We arrived in the living room, sitting on the various couches. Well, I carefully sat/fell into one since they were so incredibly soft. It was unnecessary. They probably didn't need this many couches anyway.

Some idle conversation passed and Mr. Ootori took a bit of time to explain some 'hypothetical' scenario's to me and ask my opinions on them. When Kyoya's brothers had been discussing the business with Mr. Ootori again, he would ask me my feelings and thoughts at various points. It was rather awkward, being put on the spot in such a way. I had no idea how to handle a business! Kyoya sounded like this all made perfect sense to him, though. He didn't do much speaking, but the speaking he did do was rather intelligent.

It sounded like a foreign language to me.

I sighed, glancing at the clock. It was only 7. I didn't think Hikaru and Kaoru would be coming to pick me up, so would Kyoya give me a ride back? He wasn't allowed out of the house, so did that leave an awkwardly silent ride back with a member of his family? Or a butler? Or would I be stuck walking all the way back. It was a far ride via bike, I didn't even want to know what it would be like _walking_.

"So it was a pleasure formally meeting you, Harurhi." I looked up at Mr. Ootori, who had his hand held out to me and was no standing in front of me. I could feel Kyoya's eyes on me. I had zoned… … woops.

I took his hand, smiling. "Thank you for having me over, Mr. Ootori, I had a good time."

"Likewise." He released my hand and I stood up. "Do you require a ride back?"

_Require?..._ I gave a small nod. "Yes, please."

"Fuyumi, would you please give Miss Fujioka a ride back to her house?"

"Of course." Kyoya's sister smiled, standing up and walking over. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded, following Kyoya to the door silently where, upon arrival, he kissed me on the forehead. Well, looked like he did. No contact was made, but that didn't stop the blush from saturating my cheeks. "Good night, Haruhi."

"Good night, S-… Kyoya." He stood up, watching silently as I turned around to get into the limo with his sister. I climbed in and once the door was closed, the limo pulled away. I watched for a while as the mansion disappeared into the distance until a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"So are you two actually dating?"

I blinked, looking over at Fuyumi. "Of course we are! Why would we lie about that?" Oh boy, here we go.

"I don't know, Kyoya seems so distant." She sat back in the chair. "I didn't think he'd ever get a girlfriend. Or, a date at all for that matter. The thought had crossed my mind at one point that he and Tamaki were dating, but it was far from true."

I glanced out the window, trying to imagine Kyoya dating Tamaki. The thought was weird and unusual at first, but everyone did refer to them as if they were married. I smirked, finding it rather amusing after a moment's thought.

"So you two are actually dating?"

I nodded. No need to unnecessarily risk our espionage.

"So why hasn't he actually kissed you yet?"

"What?"

"I was standing right with you guys when you were leaving. He didn't touch your forehead, but he made it look like he kissed you. If you were actually dating, there'd be no need for that, now would there?" I opened my mouth to explain, but she started laughing. "It's alright if you're not, I understand why you would pretend!"

I stared at her for a bit, dumbfounded. "Y-you do?"

"Of course! You're trying to save the little host club thing you guys have going, right? Kyoya enjoys being part of it, I know it." She glanced out the window. "I just don't think he expresses joy as well as he does solemn, more melancholy and focused emotions."

I looked forward. "He has a very serious face."

She nodded. "I also think he might like you."

"What?..." I looked back at her.

"I don't know, I don't think he would pretend to date anyone just to be allowed to stay."

"I thought he was doing it because he wanted to stay for the host club."

"He likes the host club, don't get me wrong, but I don't think he could handle pretending to date just anyone. He doesn't like being close to most people, but he doesn't mind with you."

"Wait, I thought I was doing it because I was the honors student and Mr. Ootori would approve of me!"

She smiled, looking at me. "I think it's a matter of convenience." The limo pulled up to my apartment and the driver left the front and came around, opening my door. "Anyway, have a good night!"

I blinked, giving a small nod. "Yeah, you too." She waved as I got out of the car, going back inside. Dad was still at work and the twins would probably stop by at some point in the night or tomorrow to drop off my clothes I left at their house and to ask for a retelling of the night's events for me.

I sighed, changing into more comfortable clothes and collapsing into the couch._ Kyoya actually likes me?..._ Not that I cared, but it was an interesting thought. It seemed far-fetched, but who would know Sempai better than his older sister?...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: See? Hope you enjoyed it! Please review, you guys are pretty good about that! If any of you have seen Hetalia, you should also be reading my Hetalia fic; _Spread of Chaos._ It's rather fun to type as well.**

**I promise, THE FIC IS NOT DEAD!**

Oreocooky.


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